It`s confusion over school instructions

There is confusion as government officials issue contradicting statements over Form Five students who have not received joining instructions from their schools.

While a government minister asked parents who have not received joining instructions to collect the document from Regional or Municipal Education Officers, the latter when contacted said they were not responsible for issuing such instructions and it was a new arrangement, then they had not been made aware of it.

The Deputy Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government Education Kassim Majaliwa speaking to the Guardian over telephone yesterday, advised parents to collect the forms from regional or municipal education officers.

He insisted that there could be some factors which delayed the letters, asking parents to get the forms from respective officers instead of waiting.

According to the deputy minister, the officers have set up a system of ensuring that a parent, who had not received a letter of enrollment, would get help from regional or municipal education officeers.

“There is no need to wait for a letter. After parents get information from the municipal offices on the school to which their children have been posted, they should make preparations so that child reports to the school,” he said

Kinondoni Secondary Education Officer Lucy Gultu seemed to be surprised by the deputy minister’s advice, saying that the process is new, saying: “Maybe it started this year. We know all the letters have been sent by the heads of schools and that is the system that has been used throughout the years,” said officer.

When contacted, REOs for Arusha and Coast Region said all instructions for students selected to join Kibaha and Ilboru secondary schools had already been sent to the address of the parents.

Education and Vocational Training deputy Minister Philipo Mulugo advised parents who had not received joining instructions to contact the respective school headmasters instead of waiting.

Mulugo confirmed that all joining instruction letters should be sent to students by the heads of the schools to which they have been posted, but noted that there were cases where some students had filled wrong box numbers and something went wrong somewhere, emphasising the need for parents to make close follow up.

“I think parents must find the information even if the school is far from. They can use friends or relatives to get the joining instructions for them,” he said

Either Headmaster for Ilboru Secondary Ruta said joining instructions have been sent to students via mail and if they didn’t get them, they could get a copy from their municipal education officers.

Amina Hamdani a Form Five student at Zanaki Secondary School said she received the joining instructions last week.

“I received my joining instructions since last week. I have come to pay school fees and other registration formalities. I don’t know about other students who are yet to get joining instructions,” she said

Most students who complained of not receiving the joining instructions were those selected to join form five at Ilboru and Kibaha Secondary schools.

According to the reports most students used schools addresses to receive their joining instructions although there were some who used home addresses.

One of the student who preferred anonymity said that he made follow up at the school where he completed Form Four, only to be told that the school was yet to receive the instructions.